Crustacean Schizophrenia

I started my day by nipping over to S&J Shellfish for a large box of fresh crab meat. By 8.30 I had a huge amount of cheap, fresh and delicious, white crab meat hand picked and packed by Lymington locals. Then by 10.30 I was sailing through the Solent in glorious sunshine dodging the bastard crab pots that the very same people used to catch the crabs we wolfed down, a few hours later, at supper.

So here is the dilemma. I want fresh,local crab and I also want to sail without having to dodge the crustacean land mines that these pots represent. As a non-sailor imagine the following scenario. You love chicken but when you’re on the motorway they drop on your car and destroy the engine, rendering you immobile and you’re stuck in the fast lane facing lorries about to rip your face off.

The problem is, the worst offenders paint their buoys black. Not what you’d call visible against dark water. Probably a great colour choice if you were in the Caribbean and the sea was azure but in the Solent we’re not so lucky. Black on black doesn’t work. So come on guys, paint your crab marker a sensible colour and I’ll keep buying your wonderful crabs.